Interpol has now issued a 'red notice' for the arrest of former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn after he escaped from Japan while facing trial for alleged financial misconduct.

The notice was received by Lebanon, the country Ghosn fled to by private jet on New Year's Eve, after he was reportedly smuggled in a music instrument case out of his home, where he has been under house arrest,  

An Interpol 'red notice' is a request to police across the world to provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or other similar legal action.

But Lebanon does not have an extradition treaty with Japan, and Ghosn has Lebanese, Brazilian and French citizenship.

Ghosn had posted 1bn yen in bail (£6.8m) in Japan last April ahead of his trial, after he'd been held in prison for more than 100 days following his arrest in November 2018 for alleged financial crimes.

Ghosn, accused of crimes ranging from falsifying documents to diverting Nissan money for personal use, has proclaimed his innocence on all charges.

On arrival in Lebanon, Ghosn said in an emailed statement: “I have not fled justice – I have escaped injustice and political persecution.”

“I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied.”

During his detention in Japan the International Federation for Human Rights said the denial of Ghosn's access to a lawyer during interrogation and prolongued detention reflected "some serious failings" in Japan's criminal justice system.